Robert Tyrell
Lord Robert Tyrell, also known as the Red Rose, is an unseen character in Game of Thrones. He is long deceased before the events of Game of Thrones ''and is not expected to appear in the series. Robert was a dangerous and ruthless lord born to House Tyrell and a supporter of House Blackfyre. He is famous for having been made Hand of the King to Daemon I Blackfyre during the First Blackfyre Rebellions. History Background In the books In the ''A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Robert Tyrell was the brother of Leo Tyrell and an extremely close friend of King Daemon Blackfyre, whose claim he supported during the First Blackfyre Rebellion. He was Lord of Highgarden, Warden of the South, Defender of the Marches, High Marshall of the Reach and Lord Paramount of the Reach during the reign of Baelor I Targaryen, Viserys I Targaryen and Aegon IV Targaryen. He is long dead by the time the books start. He was born in Highgarden in 142 AC to Lord Lyonel Tyrell and Lady Helaena Tarly. His father was the Lord of Highgarden at the time, and was already the father of three bastard children - two daughters and a son - but as the first trueborn son of Lord Lyonel, Robert was destined to inherit Highgarden. He squired for Lord Cregan Stark from the age of seven, until he was thirteen years old, and was knighted at the age of fourteen, before his close friend Prince Daeron Targaryen. He is noted to have spent a great deal of time in court as a result of his friendship with Daeron, and was therefore a popular individual in his own right. He was betrothed to Lady Selyse Redwyne of the Arbor when he was seventeen years old and thus gained a powerful control over the Arbor. He participated in the Conquest of Dorne when Daeron was crowned, and his father was a major figure in orchestrating the conquest. He fought bravely during the Conquest alongside his father, who became the Governor of Dorne under Daeron's leadership and was therefore tasked with marshalling the king's control over the south. As Warden of the South, Lyonel was extremely proud of his new position, something that Robert saw as ill-fated. He once openly argued with his father in front of the king over the impracticality of trying to govern Dorne the way he ought to have done, and as punishment Lyonel sent his son from Westeros to Braavos, where Robert served in the Second Sons and became a high-ranking commander within a few weeks of service. Meanwhile, King Daeron's war proved to be an unrivalled catastrophe and he was killed in battle, as was Lyonel, who was assassinated via a hundred red scorpions. Robert was never there to see his father die. King Baelor Targaryen summoned Robert back from exile and recognised him as the new Lord of Highgarden and Warden of the South. Due to his marriage to Selyse, he was one of the most powerful lords in the Seven Kingdoms and had unrivalled control in the Reach. Robert became one of the most experienced commanders of his generation on account of his constant fighting and warring within the Reach, since his bastard siblings sought to overthrow him and claim what they saw as their ''birthright. Robert, within two years of becoming a lord, shattered his enemies and had his father's bastards publicly executed, causing people to argue that he was a kinslayer. His brother Leo would become his closest friend and most trusted advisor for the rest of his life, since Robert had great difficulty trusting anyone he didn't already know. He had two children by Selyse - a son named Jasper in 164 AC, and a daughter named Rhaenyra in 165 AC, the former of whom became his personal favourite child. Robert entrusted his brother to teach Jasper how to fight, and made him his squire, while not accepting any squires of his own. During Baelor's reign, Robert was called several times to court to speak with the king on matters of state within Highgarden. Baelor respected Robert enough to grant him several personal audiences. However, to the people of Dorne and the Westerlands, Robert was a fearsome man. Robert was well-remembered for having distinctly western looks to him - he was taller than his father, with a beard and long pale brown hair. He was most commonly seen in emerald-green armour and golden mail, and his helm had a horsehair plume of gold and red to signify the colours of House Targaryen and House Tyrell. His hair was noticeably darker as a young man, but when he came back from Braavos it was often joked that sand got into his head and made his hair lighter. As the Lord of Highgarden, Robert became famously known as the Red Rose for how most of his sentences towards rebels, criminals and deserters were fatal. In 267 AC, Robert held a great tourney at Highgarden and participated in it, unhorsing Prince Aemon Targaryen and Ser Gwayne Corbray, the Bastard of Horn Hill and Lord Mormont before being unhorsed by Ser Arlan of Pennytree. He also participated in a grand melee for the fourteenth nameday of Prince Daeron Targaryen, where he wore the favour of Princess Naerys. Wearing the favour, he was unstoppable in the melee, beating every opponent that faced him and becoming the champion. He was later defeated by the Dragonknight in the final tilt during the Tourney for Prince Baelor Targaryen's nameday. Baelor the Blessed, at one point, acclaimed Robert for being 'the Warrior in the flesh', and many rumours started that Baelor intended to make Robert the Hand of the King if the opportunity arose. Robert admired the king, but he didn't like him, considering him to be a devout fool. A year later, Baelor fasted himself to death and was succeeded by Prince Viserys, who died himself a year afterwards. Aegon Targaryen, the Fourth of His Name, made no secret of the fact that he trusted Robert, naming him master of laws and commander of the City Watch of King's Landing. Robert proved to be unspeakably ruthless, almost as much as Prince Daemon Targaryen before him, and the punishments he inflicted were extremely violent and frightening. Far from being as respected as Aegon hoped he would be, Robert was outright feared by his men, and the regulations that he put in place made them both exhausted and frustrated to the point that they were almost as ruthless and cruel as he was. Robert's alias 'the Red Rose' gained even more significance as his tenure continued, but it became clearer to most people that Robert's presence in King's Landing revolved around the fact that he was enormously wealthy and Aegon lusted after women and feasts. He fought in two particular tournaments during the reign of Aegon the Unworthy - the tourney in honour of Prince Maekar's nameday, and later King Aegon's own. The number of feasts held at King's Landing were mainly achieved through Robert's contribution. By 176 AC, Lady Selyse had given birth to triplets - Naerys, Ellen and Viserys Tyrell. However, the birth of the triplets exhausted Selyse and she never left Highgarden again because she could barely stand without aid from her servants and ladies in waiting. This fact became the subject of countless japes and insults at court for Robert, who endured each and every one of them, and Aegon, contrary to expectations, praised Robert for having such a fiercely strong woman for his wife. Robert's harsh nature didn't change, however, and he even saw fit to call out members of the court for trial and sentence if they insulted the king or plotted behind his back. For this, most lords respected his honesty, but many grew to truly hate him and fear that he would expose them for simply saying something out of order. Robert recommended his eighteen-year-old son to court in 182 AC to serve as master of ships, considering that Jasper had spent a great deal of time in the Arbor and was a consummate sailor. Aegon obliged him, despite many of his advisors demanding the opposite. Robert brought Jasper to court and arranged a marriage with Lady Carolyn Lannister of Lannisport, to which Aegon arranged a great tourney at Duskendale. During the tourney, Jasper witnessed his father triumph in the meelee a second time, wearing the favour of his future daughter-in-law. Throughout Aegon's reign, Robert was a steadfast figure of authority over his bastard children Daemon, Aegor and Brynden. As the finest archer in all of the realm, he taught Brynden Rivers how to wield a bow and considered him a prodigy of the art. He and Daemon shared a very strong relationship of teacher and student, and Daemon would often meticulously listen to the details of Robert's wartime experiences. Many lords and ladies feared for the closeness between Robert and his king's bastards, fearing that it would have disastrous results. When Aegon the Unworthy finally died, Robert conspired with Ser Quentyn Ball over the concept that Daemon would want to become the King of Westeros, on account of the strong rumours that Aegon's trueborn heir Daeron was actually sired by Prince Aemon the Dragonknight. Hearing of these talks from Brynden Rivers, the newly-crowned King Daeron banished Robert from King's Landing and revoked all of his titles regarding power in King's Landing. When approached by Daemon over the proposition of pardoning Robert and naming him Hand of the King, Daeron reacted angrily and told his half-brother '''Robert is a strong man, it is true, but he is mad and cruel, and shall never serve as my Hand'. He then revoked Ser Jasper Tyrell's position on the Small Council and placed his own men in position, as well as refurbishing the City Watch of King's Landing, completely revoking Robert's hard work. Meanwhile, Robert sat in Highgarden to care for his weakening wife: Selyse suffered from a pox that caused her to regurgitate any food that she ate, and sent her into seizures if she stood up for too long. She died slowly and painfully in 185 AC after suffering a violent seizure in the night. This broke Robert, who received condolences from the king but wouldn't accept his presence at Selyse's funeral. Considering his removal from court, as well as that of his son, to be a grievous insult by Daeron, Robert continued to communicate with Daemon and Aegor, and started marshalling all the soldiers in the Arbor and at Horn Hill, summoning them to Highgarden. When Robert received a messenger from King's Landing demanding to know what he was doing with this military preparation, he sent the messenger up with a silver coin cut in the shape of a dragon and painted black. Daeron sent Brynden Rivers to Highgarden to reason with Robert, and though Brynden and the Warden of the South argued extensively, Brynden was unable to decipher what the man was up to. Daemon Blackfyre finally convinced Daeron to allow Robert to come to court, but Daeron negotiated the condition that none of his previous titles be restored. Robert returned to court, where whispers and stares followed him wherever he went, and participated in the tourney to celebrate Princess Daenerys' wedding to Maron Martell. He was the champion of the archery competition and the meeleee, but he lost against Baelor Targaryen, who later defeated Daemon Blackfyre in the final tilt. Daemon was visited by Robert later on, while his injuries were being seen to, and it is unknown what they talked about. Ser Eustace Osgrey believes that Robert, wounded by the dishonour he felt had been dealt by the king, was trying to convince Daemon to rebel. Daeron later summoned Robert to the tourney grounds once more and kissed both his cheeks, offering to let bygones be bygones. Robert smiled and silently accepted the king's offer of truce, but Daeron was oblivious to the conversation that took place between him and the Black Dragon. Finally, the First Blackfyre Rebellion broke out between King Daemon Blackfyre and King Daeron Targaryen. To the alarm of the Reachmen, a massive number of lords and knights flocked to Daemon's side, and Daemon rode to Highgarden and offered the position of Hand of the King to Robert, who accepted it. In the ensuing war, Robert proved to be an excruciatingly dangerous and ruthless warrior and commander, and one of the most powerful allies that Daemon possessed. He protected Highgarden against Daeron's troops when they tried to lay siege to the ancestral home of the Tyrells, and fought with Bloodraven at Horn Hill, defeating him. Robert later fought several bloody battles across the Reach against the red dragon. He fought at the Mountains of the Moon, at Lannisport and Maidenpool. To his horror, his brother Leo joined the Targaryens with his own personal army and opposed Robert. Leo retook many of the lands that Robert had maintained and made a failed attempt at convincing the Arbor to fight for the royalists. He and his brother would later fight a famous duel at Harrenhal which spanned the whole battle. Robert and his brother wounded one another and Leo was forced to retreat. With Robert at the head of the archers in Daemon's army, the rebels later won a great victory at Ironman's Bay. At the Redgrass Field, Robert wounded his brother a second time, and fought with Baelor Targaryen, before being driven away by the Raven's Teeth. He continued to fight across the Redgrass Field, until he was driven away and his sword was driven from him. He utilised his bow instead and slaughtered several king's men with his archers. He actually lasted until the end of the battle, where he was disarmed by Prince Maekar Targaryen and arrested. Maekar brought him back to King's Landing to stand trial for treason. Daeron's prosecution of the Red Rose was merciless, and the lords who lived in King's Landing lusted after his execution. Brynden Rivers, who had been wounded by Bittersteel during the battle, insisted that he be executed, while Maekar suggested he be sent to the Wall and Baelor that he be attainted and confined to the Red Keep. Not wanting to provoke the rage of Highgarden and Robert's children, but at the same time not wanting to put him in a position of dangerous power, Daeron sent him away to the Arbor and confined him there as Lord of the Arbor, revoking his status as Lord of Highgarden and giving it to his brother. Robert accepted his sentence and departed for the Arbor. George R.R. Martin has described Robert Tyrell as something of a Targaryen version of Tywin Lannister - a ruthless, powerful and ambitious lord, infamous across all of Westeros for his utterly pitiless strategies, experience as a warrior and his dedication to the empowerment of his house. Essentially, taking a character with Tywin Lannister's personality and placing him in the Tyrell family. A major difference between Robert and Tywin is the fact that Robert loved all of his children, and he lived longer than the Lord of Casterly Rock. Category:House Tyrell Category:Cossack09 Category:Warrior Category:Lords Category:Knights Category:Characters from the Reach Category:Male Category:Deceased Category:Masters of Laws Category:Hand of the King